Chapter 3
Day 3
Vivio breathed in deeply and exhaled in a metered breath, but her normal sense of calm didn’t come.
Ah, whatever—Vivio stepped into the stance of her morning kata anyway. At least she can give her muscles the practice even if her spiritual center was off. And it wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t think straight that morning…
Now that
was an unfortunate choice of words. Even if it was true.
But Vivio couldn’t help it…It was all Nanoha-mama’s fault. Or, actually, it was technically Fate-mama’s fault…
**O**
Her midnight movie watching on the couch had been interrupted when the rare sound of a key in the front door lock had caught Vivio’s attention. She had looked over the couch back to see her parents and their friends staggering through the front door like a group of college kids playing a ten-legged race.
“Vivio, a little help?” Her Nanoha-mama had panted as she strained to hold up both Fate-mama and Hayate and also shut the door at the same time. All the servants had gone to bed, and Suzuka preferred it if they weren’t disturbed unless absolutely necessary.
Vivio sprang up and shut the door, then helped Arisa fend off a giggling Suzuka’s advances long enough for the blushing blonde to get Suzuka’s shoes off. Arisa excused the two of them then, carefully guiding her friend up the stairs and off to the master bedroom.
“Ah, Vivio, could you take Hayate-chan to her room?” Nanoha requested, and in the process of trying to keep an incoherent Fate upright lost her grip on Hayate. Before Vivio knew what had happened, she was by her mother’s side and suddenly had Hayate’s arm slung over her shoulder as the brunette hung limply in her arms. “I have to get your Fate-mama squared away first, and I’ll come check up on Hayate-chan in a moment.”
“But—” Vivio protested, her eyes wide and a hot blush rising on her face. But Nanoha had only given her a wink before stumbling off with her wife, quietly whispering some teasing remark in the Enforcer’s ear as they went down the hall.
And that was how Vivio found herself in the best and worst place in the world.
Even though the scent of stale beer and alcohol, Vivio could smell the flowery scent of Hayate’s shampoo and a soft soap odour that made Vivio’s mouth dry. Orchids, if she wasn’t mistaken…and although her jacket was chilly from outside all the places where Hayate was draped over Vivio had started to warm up nicely. The older woman was entirely unconscious, and only her soft breaths on Vivio’s neck gave off any sign that she was alive.
Goosebumps spread all the way up Vivio’s neck, making her ear tingle and her cheeks flush.
“Come on,” she muttered, shifting Hayate’s weight until Vivio could twist and gather up her commander in both arms. An excellent aspect of her growth spurt and her Strike Arts training was that carrying someone this way was a breeze. The only things causing Vivio’s steps to be a bit unsteadier than she wanted was the warm weight of Hayate’s head on Vivio’s shoulder, and Hayate’s far arm resting in the vicinity of Vivio’s breasts.
Very distracting.
“You’re too light,” Vivio grumbled to herself as she used a foot to nudge open Hayate’s room door. While Hayate wasn’t a large woman, she still should weigh a little more than she did. After this vacation, Vivio was going to have to make sure that Hayate stopped skipping lunch on workdays.
Through some creative shifting around, Vivio managed to pull down the covers and lay Hayate down on the bed without too much awkward flopping. And then she just stood there, sweating, unsure if she should…help Hayate out of her uncomfortable-looking shirt and slacks, or just pull the covers over her and walk away before she spontaneously combusted on the spot.
Even in Vivio’s wildest fantasies, she never got beyond, you know…kissing and stuff. Unbuttoning Hayate’s shirt—no matter for what reason—was way,
way too far out there for Vivio to handle!
Not to mention that if someone walked in on her doing that, Vivio would just
die from embarrassment.
…and that was probably why no one thought Vivio had a chance. Adults weren’t supposed to blush over those kinds of things.
“Sorry,” she mumbled to Hayate as she gently pulled the covers up over the unconscious woman. Vivio filled a glass from the bathroom with water and left it on the bed stand. She paused by the doorway.
Just why had her parents dragged her along on this vacation?
Vivio swore that Nanoha-mama hadn’t actually
seen anything that day…but why the push now?
Just what was Vivio supposed to do?
**O**
“Nice form there—but you want to plant that back foot more firmly.”
The sudden advice jerked Vivio from her musings and from her workout routine. “Grandma Momoko!” Vivio jogged over and gave her a tight hug. After spending yesterday with Momoko and the rest of the family, Vivio had found that the Takamachis were just as friendly and as cheerful as the Harlaowns. She was the only grandchild on the Takamachi side of the family, so all the fussing over she had received had been a bit embarrassing, but Vivio liked them.
“Good morning, Vivio. Where is everyone today? Farin let me in, but I didn’t see Nanoha or anyone else awake?”
Vivio rolled her eyes in response. “They’re probably all hung over. Nanoha-mama is probably taking care of Fate-mama, and I might have to hook Hayate-san up to an IV drip at this rate if she doesn’t wake up to keep herself hydrated.” Vivio couldn’t understand the appeal to adults of drinking until they were drunk and hung over. Didn’t they have better ways to spend time with each other?
“Oh dear,” Momoko chuckled. Both of Vivio’s grandmothers still looked abnormally young for their age. Vivio hoped that she’d somehow inherit that trait from them. “I guess it’s just you, me and Miyuki today for our baking date then?”
Grabbing a sweater, Vivio pulled over her head to ward off the morning chill. She hadn’t broken a sweat during her kata, so rather than waste time changing she was eager to go. Her arms popped out the sleeves and she brushed the hood back. “Are we going to Midori-ya?”
“Not today, the shop is open. We don’t want to get in Kyoya and Shinobu’s way.” Momoko put a hand on Vivio’s shoulder as they walked out of the Tsukimura estate and to the sidewalk. “We’ll go to Miyuki’s apartment, how’s that?”
Vivio nodded agreeably. Privately, she had to admit to herself that she was pretty eager. The only aunt she had ever really known had been Amy and, well…whatever Hayate had kind of been. Maybe getting to know her Aunt Miyuki would help Vivio sort things out in her head.
“So, Vivio,” Momoko asked in a continuation of the previous day’s conversations, “If you’re working full time in the TSAB, then are you still taking any classes?”
“Kind of,” Vivio explained, walking on the sidewalk curb to practice her balance. “It’s a one-year work-study course that my school offers. Many of the students already have part-time commissions in the TSAB, so we can apply for a division and work there for a year, while doing specialized assignments that are to be graded by a professor. But most of it is learning on the job.” She felt a bashfully proud as she added, “The Ground Forces only offers four placements a year, and the CDC only has a single opening.”
“You must have worked really hard to earn it,” Momoko remarked, and Vivio blushed.
“Y-Yes. I really…it’s a real honour to be on the Strike Team.” When she had gotten her acceptance letter in the mail, Vivio had been crying as she had bounced off the walls at home in delight. The best part was the little note Hayate had clipped to the official letter, congratulating Vivio and promising to treat her out for dinner to celebrate. (Contrary to Caro’s teasing, Vivio did
not sleep with the note under her pillow!)
“And I can imagine that Nanoha and Fate-chan are relieved to see you under the command of a friend,” Momoko said. “Well, not that you need looking after, of course, but parents always worry.” She turned down a short flower-lined path towards an apartment building. As trained, Vivio noted the way the bricks were set oddly in the wall, allowing for an alternative escape route from the windows, and also how even in the middle of the day all the curtains were drawn shut despite the scarce line-of-sights from nearby buildings, making it hard to snipe into them. The building itself was separated from its neighbours by a distance that would be hard for an average person to jump—and even if someone had the talent to jump across, the roof was rimmed with a row of short spikes that looked impressively functional as well as decorative.
From habit, Vivio looked up to scan the nearby rooftops and windows as they approached the building.
A figure was climbing into her aunt’s window.
Left foot springing off the garbage bin, right foot catching and kicking up from the top windowsill—Vivio launched herself upwards and managed to get enough height to seize the thief by the ankle and bring both of them off the wall and onto the ground. She couldn’t use magic to create a bind so Vivio immediately lunged forward and tackled the quick-footed figure before he could recover.
Vivio swallowed her usual shout of
This is the Ground Forces Strike Team!—but what else could she say? She didn’t have time to think as her quarry nearly broke free, moving like muscled lightning as they struggled in the side alley.
I don’t have a Barrier Jacket, so I can’t let myself get pinned! Just from the weight of her opponent, Vivio knew that she’d lose a grappling match. She needed leverage, but this fighter was too quick for Vivio to successfully wrestle into a disabling hold. They crashed against the brick wall, and Vivio switched to a series of rapid-fire jabs, finally connecting on her fifth punch to knock the thief off-balance with a hit to the shoulder.
Vivio grabbed an arm and threw herself forward, twisting her opponent around and shoving her knee into the person’s back. They hit the ground and Vivio scrambled to complete her hold before she was thrown off when Momoko’s voice finally cut through her adrenaline haze.
“Both of you, stop! Miyuki, that’s Vivio!”
“Aunt Miyuki?” Vivio gasped, immediately letting go and scrambling up. The dark figure beneath her rolled to her feet with a grunt, and when she pulled off her cowl Vivio felt herself flush with embarrassment as she recognized her aunt.
“Whew, what a welcome!” Miyuki shook out her arm, laughing sheepishly. “I must be getting old to have been spotted. You have sharp eyes, Vivio.”
Vivio blushed even harder, pleased at the compliment but also ducking her head in guilt. “I’m so sorry!”
“It’s not your fault Vivio; Miyuki, why were you climbing in through your own window?”
Miyuki laughed, the sound just as musical as her sister’s but with a more carefree tone than Nanoha. “Um, a couple of reasons…my neighbour had pointed out how she could enter through my window in ten seconds, and I wanted to test it out myself. And also because I left my keys at home before I went out for morning training, and I didn’t want to bother the landlord.” She patted Vivio on the head. “Don’t be embarrassed—you must have thought that I was a shady character breaking into my apartment. Thank you for thinking about my well-being.”
“It also gave me a great chance to watch you in action,” Momoko chuckled, knocking on the front door. “Small wonder that you are on such an elite squad, Vivio, considering how
fast you are!”
“Thank you,” Vivio smiled shyly. She
had done really well, she had to admit to herself—catching a trained fighter off guard and mostly winning without her Barrier Jacket? All the non-magically boosted training with Nove had definitely paid off.
A building made for sly entries and exits…with defensive spikes and cameras set up around the area, and bullet-resistant glass on the windows? Yup, this was definitely where her Aunt Miyuki, from Vivio’s memory of the stories that Nanoha-mama used to tell her before bed, would like to live. Vivio glanced up and wondered if she could make the jump between buildings without her Barrier Jacket on—defended skyscrapers in Cranagan didn’t use spikes, but they often had alarm spells that were troublesome if someone was trying a quiet entry. It could be neat to practice…
“Did you find the cameras yet?” Miyuki laughed, noticing Vivio’s scrutiny. She slapped Vivio’s back in approval. “I’m very impressed—no wonder you’re squad leader already!”
Vivio blushed again, but grinned back. “Fate-mama helped me practice for my practical exam by taking me around the city and asking me to spot exits and security points. It was lots of fun.” She frowned a little, worried. “Do you really need to be so cautious in your daily life?”
“Well, this time I had a reason to be coming in from a different door. But normally? Old dogs and old tricks…” Miyuki trailed off as the front door opened, and a pale, stone-faced woman looked out at them. Although the woman was just holding a wooden bokken Vivio felt a chill run down her spine at the woman’s blank, assessing stare.
“Morning Hazuki-san,” Miyuki said lightly, ushering Vivio and Momoko past her neighbour and into the building. “Thanks for opening the door, I forgot my keys today.”
The gloomy woman didn’t say a word but disappeared further inside the apartment building.
“…I thought you said that Hazuki-san was a generally nice girl?” Momoko finally asked as they made their way up to Miyuki’s unit.
“Oh, that would be Azuma Hazuki.
That was Hazuki Mina…and she’s, um, a little anti-social. But never mind.” Miyuki frowned as she looked at her locked door, before finally waving a hand at them to stay put. “One second…”
“You have…interesting neighbours, Aunt Miyuki.” Vivio shook her head incredulously. She stepped up to the door and indicated with a hand. “May I?”
“Sure…”
Vivio unfastened her silver watch and slid it under the crack beneath the door. “Kris, please open the door?” It was after Vivio had been accepted into the GFDC Strike Team that she had given in and gotten Sacred Heart an upgrade. As self-confident as she was in herself, she really had to draw the line at having her Device in the shape of a stuffed rabbit in a military workplace.
But out of nostalgia, Kris could still shift into his bunny form when needed.
Click!
“Thanks Kris,” Vivio held out her hand to her floating Device, who waved his little paw before shifting back into a watch and dropping onto her palm.
“Very nice!” Miyuki welcomed them in, pulling out some slippers from a shoe cabinet. “I’ve kind of taken over the
other Takamachi family business, so security comes with the job.” When Momoko sighed, Miyuki pouted, pushing her glasses up. “Aw, Mom, I’m not the only one. Nanoha has a scarier job than I do!”
“At least you all have baking to fall back on,” Momoko managed to joke lightly, although she still had a worried crease on her brow.
“I should too, so I’d better learn!” Vivio chimed in, trying to lighten the mood as well as express her eager excitement. “What are we going to make today?” She and Miyuki shared a wink as the question succeeded in changing the topic.
“Today’s all about you, so why don’t
you choose, Vivio?”
“Me?”
Momoko nodded encouragingly. “Is there anything you want to make? We can pick up any ingredients we don’t have, so you can choose anything.”
“Chocolate cake,” Vivio immediately replied. She coughed. “Um, I know that they all really like it. Yeah.” Okay, fine,
Hayate really liked it, but Vivio knew that her parents liked it too. So she wasn’t
just thinking of Hayate…Was it a childish thing to bake something for a crush? Or was that a romantic thing to do?
Momoko chuckled, opening cupboards in Miyuki’s kitchen and pulling out bowls. “Good choice. Alright—Miyuki, grab the flour. Vivio, the chocolate chips.”
“Do you live here all by yourself, Aunt Miyuki?” Vivio asked as she opened a bag of chocolate chips.
She and Miyuki stealthily stole a couple of pieces—with Momoko pretending not to notice—before Miyuki smiled and said, “Yup. What do you think of the place?”
“It’s pretty cool,” Vivio grinned. Then curiously, she asked, “You’re not going out with anyone?” That wasn’t too rude to ask an Aunt, right?
“At my age?” Miyuki raised an eyebrow as she measured out cups of flour. “I’m not really looking for romance anymore. I like my life as it is.”
“Oh,” Vivio said quietly, sedately pouring chocolate chips into the mixing bowl. “But what’s wrong with trying?”
“Trying? To find a date, and get married, and all that kind of stuff? Well, I kind of have a consuming lifestyle.” The older woman pushed her glasses up and started scooping sugar. “There’s not much time left over when I’m working, and travelling. But most of all, I think that I’m just used to living singly.”
Vivio’s shoulders slumped further as she continued her motions lethargically. “Oh….”
“Vivio, that’s a lot of chocolate…”
“Oh, sorry!” Vivio quickly stopped pouring, handing the metal bowl to Momoko. “Um, Aunt Miyuki…what kinds of things would make you reconsider?”
“Reconsider?”
“Like, for instance, if someone wanted to get your attention. What would they have to do for you to think to give them a chance, despite how you might feel that you’re happy with your current circumstances?” That last sentence had been so long and Vivio had said it so breathlessly that she nearly panted once she finally got to the end, staring hopefully at Miyuki.
A mite startled, Miyuki handed a jug of milk to Vivio and a measuring cup. Then she laughed, scratching her cheek thoughtfully. “Hmm…they’d have to be pretty bold, I’d say. Be the one to ask me out on a date—if I even say yes! I don’t think I’d be convinced by any average person, really.”
“So they’d have to be persistent,” Vivio said carefully, “And special?”
“Honestly? I’d probably turn them down anyway. But if I do agree to a date, anything long-term would be pretty exceptional. I mean, it’d probably show on my face, the fact that I hadn’t even considered a relationship as a possibility.” Miyuki shrugged, although she had tilted her head and was observing Vivio curiously. “The chances of them getting shot down would be pretty high.”
“…and brave,” Vivio whispered to herself, her knuckles going white from her tight grip on the measuring glass.
One of them had to be brave.